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Driver in Fatal Crash had History of Traffic Tickets

February 5, 2012Colson Hicks Eidson

Any fatal car crash is tragic, but a fatal accident last week in Miami took the life of a 17-year-old and the driver had a well-documented history of careless driving. Seven teens from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) took a field trip to the Everglades. After the trip, the teens got into an SUV driven by a DJJ administrator.

According to a report at miamiherald.com, around 10:15 p.m., the SUV was driving on Wagon Wheel Road when it went off the road while making a turn on a curved road. The SUV ended up partially submerged in a nearby canal. The driver and one of the teens died in the car accident. The remaining teen passengers suffered non-life threatening injuries in the SUV crash.

The DJJ administrator driving the SUV had a history of driving infractions. He received 18 traffic citations since 2006, including five speeding tickets, failing to obey a traffic control device, hit-and-run, running a red light, making an improper turn and driving an unsafe car. In addition, he had a violation for providing alcohol to a minor.

One of our earlier blog posts highlighted the inherent dangers of SUVs. Careful and attentive driving, however, is critical to prevent accidents like this from occurring.